Ariana found herself being hauled away from the throng by Devi and Curio now that Quinn had departed from the gallery hall. She realized her magical display with Quinn and Arturos had been intensely public as Masters all around stared with eyebrows raised. Talk erupted amongst the Masters; as it rose, Devina seized Ariana and thrust her towards a set of drawn curtains. As they entered a shadowy alcove with royal blue drapes and a stern portrait of an Italian Vampiress, Ariana was grateful to be out of the crowd as Vampire energy heaved through the gallery. As Ariana stared at Devi, stunned, Devi lifted one perfect eyebrow and retrieved a dark purple cordial in a tiny crystal vial from her cleavage, pressing it into Ariana’s hand.
“Here, drink this. It will steady you.” Devina spoke decisively.
“Sure.” Ariana almost didn’t care what it was; nothing she could possibly drink could affect her more than her sudden connection to Quinn just had, or Arturos. As Devi and Curio shared a deeply unsettled glance, corralling Ariana into their shadowy corner as if it wasn’t such a good idea for her to be at the party after all, both Vampires suddenly straightened like they’d been whipped.
“Come. Quinn summons us. Drink quickly.” Devi spoke abruptly, her spine ramrod-straight as she gazed off to where Quinn had gone. Linking her arm through Ariana’s, Devi gave her a no-bullshit glance and downing her cordial, Ariana coughed against her wrist. As her eyes teared up, she felt a blaze like cinnamon whiskey sear her throat, though it was smooth like liquid darkness and fire. But it left her body warming all the way to her toes and fingertips with a grounding sensation, helping with the massive magics that had passed through her earlier.
Plucking the empty vial from her fingertips, Devi thrust it back into her cleavage as she touched the stone wall and the stern Vampiress portrait swung away from the wall. Exiting behind the portrait via a stone door Ariana hadn’t even seen, they came into a servant’s passage.
A dark hall with blue-gold torches blazing in niches as they passed.
“Jesus fucking Christ!” Devi swore suddenly as the portrait-door closed behind them and she hauled Ariana along by the wrist. “What was Quinn thinking?!”
“More clandestine thoughts than even we can fathom, apparently.” Curio snorted behind them as Devi tugged Ariana along through the tight passage. “Though he planned that mischief introducing Ariana to the Masters tonight to see if they could feel what she is, he certainly didn’t plan that little resonance demonstration back there. Or Arturos’ rogue move. Bad news all around.”
“What… happened just now?” Ariana blinked as Devi tugged her along, feeling Devi and Curio’s deep concern. Though the servant’s hall with its blue-gold torches was empty, Devina took a winding turn and then another until Ariana was completely lost in the warren of vaulted catacombs.
Devi continuing to glance back as if they were perhaps being followed.
“Arturos attempted to replace Quinn’s protection inside you tonight, Ariana, with his own.” Curio spoke with a voice like ice now in the tight corridor. “It was a rash move, but Quinn rose to the challenge – provoking a very strong magical resonance between the two of you just now. Quinn…raged,in a way I’ve rarely felt from him. He was able to shut it down, but only just. If it had spilled out any more, let’s just say there would be quite a few less genial and far more dangerous Master Vampires in that hall right now, wondering if Quinn is really as powerful as he says he is. And if his new Dark Fae should be stolen away from him – as Arturos just tried to do.”
“But isn’t Arturos Quinn’s friend?” Ariana spoke, wondering what it meant that she was resonating with Quinn’s powers, and why Arturos had done as he did.
“Yes. Which makes what happened just now even messier.” Devi snapped sharply as she glanced back at Ariana. “Quinn plays deep power games in Vampire society, and he took a massive risk tonight, showing the Masters he had a Dark Fae even moderately under his care. But resonating like that with you, becoming that unhinged that someone tried to steal you? Let’s just say he would be in deep shit if anyone on the Council ever found out he had a weakness this big.”
“Are you saying I make Quinn weak?” Ariana blinked, shocked at Devina’s insinuation.
“I’m saying the unprecedentedjealousyhe showed just now protecting you makes him weak, in the eyes of Vampire society.” Devi bit tersely now as she exited the passage by clicking a clever latch in the wall. Suddenly, they were pushing out from behind another giant portrait and into another underground hall.
It was a library, Ariana realized as they entered. A catacombed hall similar to the one they’d just left, all the vaulted niches were filled with built-in ebony bookcases of ancient leather-bound tomes. Ornate manuscripts nestled in blue silk filled glass display cases; beautifully-lit archivist’s tables displayed intensely detailed illuminated manuscripts. Some vaults held mother-of-pearl inlaid harpsichords up on royal blue velvet dais, while others held racks of gleaming antique violins and violas, which even at a glance Ariana was certain were Stradivarius. Reading-niches with blue silk chaises contained elegant displays of rare orchids. And as Ariana stood astounded, marveling at a gilded rack of ancient codices such as the Vatican would have started wars to own, a latch clicked and Quinn suddenly pushed in from behind a bookcase on the far wall.
Closing it soberly behind him as his burning black gaze pinned Ariana.
“Leave us.” He spoke quietly, and though he stared at Ariana with a disastrous intensity, she knew his command wasn’t for her. As she found herself riveted to Quinn’s stare and he to hers, he trembled now, as if feeling their connection and resisting it. As his black nimbus of power swirled all around her like it wanted to eat her alive, she thought his Dark Haven’s Second and Third would leave without protest. But she felt Devi and Curio both hesitate now as if they thought Quinn’s command to be alone with Ariana was a deeply bad idea.
“Are you sure, milord?” Devi spoke fiercely back as she held Quinn’s gaze. Like a protective older sister suddenly, Devi threaded her arm firmly around Ariana’s waist, staring Quinn down – as Curio stepped to her back and wrapped his arms around her again, as if they were both protecting her from whatever was happening. “What will Ariana do if you can’t control your power around her, Quinn?” Devi spoke curtly now, as power like a crimson lance suddenly surged from her, slicing something in Quinn’s energy. “How will the little baby Dark Fae protect herself without her magics fully open to her use yet? Are you sure you trust yourself being alone with her?”
The blunt way Devi said it suddenly made Ariana’s heart pound, as she and Quinn’s gazes locked. She saw a ravenous energy flash in his eyes, like a forest fire as he stared her down. But as if Devi’s blunt words and lance of energy had checked him, Quinn shut his eyes. Heaving hard breaths, he kept his eyes closed, gradually regaining control until his black nimbus of power settled. Ariana felt a stillness come over him then, like he was nothing but a beautiful marble statue. At last, he opened his eyes, in possession of himself with nothing of his emotions left in his onyx gaze. Still, his passion had burned like ancient suns as it shone upon Ariana from the darkness.
A crimson-bright fire before it was put away to the vast cool of the grave.
“I’m sure.” He spoke with his resonant baritone softer and less intense now as he gazed at Ariana, his composure returned. “Ariana is safe with me. I swear it. Please head back to the party and see to our guests. I shall not be returning this evening.”
But as they watched each other in the underground library, Ariana suddenly wondered if she wanted to be safe with Quinn, cool and composed as he was now – or if she wanted to feel him burn and let nothing stop it until the end of the world. With wary glances, Curio and Devina finally bowed and left the underground library, egressing through the same portrait they’d entered by. It left Ariana and Quinn staring at each other; and as they paused in the silence, Ariana felt a tirade of things to be discussed rise between them.
As Quinn and Ariana watched each other, she felt his massive power flow all around her again. Like a restrained sea, she both felt and saw his black tide roil around him now, undulating along the marble floor. Deep inside, Ariana felt his magic surge restlessly, as if unsure what to do. And as they stared at each other in the underground night with the bright illumination of antiques all around, Quinn suddenly blinked his long dark lashes.
And ran a distracted hand through his dark auburn hair.
“What just happened back there in the gallery?” Ariana spoke then, breaking their silence though her voice was breathy as her heart pounded. “What’s… happening between us?”
“I don’t know.” Quinn spoke quietly now as he stared her down. “But something went awry tonight, Ariana, when Arturos challenged me over you. I never planned on releasing that much magic to the hall to counter him trying to claim you – I didn’t need to, to push his power back. But I did… demonstrating weakness when I lost control of my emotions over you. I put my Dark Haven at risk tonight. I almost couldn’t wrangle my fury back enough to calm myself after Arturos’ move.”
“Is your Dark Haven in trouble?” Ariana asked, suddenly fearful of the scene they’d caused.
“Not at immediate risk, no.” Quinn answered as his gaze softened now. “Those in attendance tonight were our allies; none will speak of this to the Council, hopefully. Only Eiseth and Arturos could feel specifically what you are, and they are close supporters of mine. I do not blame Arturos for trying to see if he could take you. I would have done the same if faced with the rareness of a Dark Fae surfaced in the world. And such a compelling one.”
“Why did I compel him? And why do I seem to compel you… but not anyone else? No other Vampires?” Ariana mused now, feeling like she was sequestered in some other world now with Quinn, alone with him in the library. As she hesitantly took a step towards him, she could feel an intense sensation pull between them, stronger now that they were alone. But with a deft surge of his magic, Quinn contained it – until he seemed like a beautiful statue of marble once more, dark and cool as the grave.
